Violent public protests, widespread disorder, and clashes between demonstrators and National Guard troops in Los Angeles, California, have extended to several other U.S. states, most notably Washington and Colorado. President Trump has claimed that the demonstrations are being financed by unidentified external sources.
In New York’s Manhattan district, protests escalated into violent confrontations, as thousands of people took to the streets in opposition to raids carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Police arrested dozens of demonstrators, while others remained on the streets until late at night.
The protesters later moved to federal immigration court offices, where the New York Police Department (NYPD) attempted to block them from crossing security barriers. Tensions quickly rose. Eyewitnesses reported seeing officers arresting demonstrators, with minor clashes breaking out between both sides. Several protesters were seen falling to the ground during the arrests.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams renewed calls for peaceful demonstrations amid rising national tensions. He emphasized that the city is prepared to take necessary measures should the situation spiral out of control.
“If things reach a level beyond our capacity to manage, I spoke with the governor yesterday and we agreed to work together to ensure the safety of everyone. If further intervention becomes necessary, we will sit down and make the appropriate decision,” Adams stated.
Although tensions continue to rise in Los Angeles, New York has not yet witnessed violence of the same scale. In response to a question about whether Governor Kathy Hochul might request the deployment of the National Guard, a spokesperson for her office said, “We’re not going to speculate. We trust the NYPD’s ability to handle the situation.”
In a related political development, New York Representative Nydia Velázquez introduced a new bill titled “Police Not ICE”, aimed at prohibiting ICE agents from identifying themselves as police officers—an act that civil rights groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) say causes confusion and fear.
“This legislation aims to restore public trust and protect public safety,” Velázquez said. While her office has no records indicating that such incidents have occurred in New York, she emphasized that the bill is preventive in nature.
“When immigration agents present themselves as police, it confuses people, creates fear, and deepens the divide between immigrant communities and local law enforcement officers—who are supposed to be there to protect them,” she added.
Amid the growing controversy, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams—currently running for mayor—called on the Department of Investigation to examine whether the NYPD is sharing information with ICE.
In a video posted on platform X, she said, “Reports indicating cooperation between NYPD and federal agencies, including the sharing of information later used in civil immigration proceedings, are deeply concerning.”
A spokesperson for the NYPD responded, stating, “The NYPD does not participate in the enforcement of civil immigration laws. That is our unequivocal position.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams also criticized Adrienne Adams’ remarks, saying, “It’s shameful that Adrienne Adams is trying to stoke fear for cheap political gain.”
Meanwhile, President Trump announced that some participants in the anti-deportation protests in Los Angeles were, in his words, “paid agitators.”
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump claimed the city would have “gone up in flames” had he not intervened by deploying the National Guard to suppress protests against ICE actions, according to U.S. media reports.
He described parts of Los Angeles as being on the brink of “insurrection,” calling the scenes “horrific,” and insisting that those responsible were “paid rioters.”
Trump alleged that some protesters used hammers to break concrete and hurl it at law enforcement officers. However, he did not provide evidence to support his claims regarding the financing of demonstrators, according to local media outlets.
In contrast, California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of overstepping its authority by deploying the National Guard to the state. On Tuesday, he also submitted a new emergency request to block the dispatch of additional federal forces to the city.
In another statement, Trump claimed that Los Angeles is “under invasion by a foreign enemy,” as he described it. He argued that the protests, sparked by ICE raids, represented “a full-scale assault on peace, public order, and national sovereignty,” adding, “It was carried out by rioters waving foreign flags in an effort to continue the foreign invasion of our country.”
The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced the deployment of 700 Marines to Los Angeles amid the ongoing protests against President Trump’s immigration policies.
Last Sunday, 2,000 National Guard troops were deployed in response to protests opposing a federal operation aimed at locating individuals who entered the United States illegally, according to government authorities.
Earlier, an ICE-led operation to identify undocumented immigrants in downtown Los Angeles escalated into confrontations with protesters.
Observers expect the protests to intensify in the coming days and to spread to additional states, citing the harsh handling of demonstrators.
U.S. military experts have warned that deploying Marine forces could further strain civil–military relations in American society. A Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that “deploying Marines to confront protesters within the United States is a provocation by the Trump administration aimed at creating a manufactured crisis.”
